Cynder's Journey
Cynder’s Journey Prologue Wildly thrashing winds whipped the barn’s wooden wall furiously, threatening to force them in. The pale gray she-cat grimaced as a shower of sharp rain drops hit her pelt mercilessly. This storm was the worst one by far. The she-cat glanced out a small crack in the wall near her and saw only blackness; no way to see the dark gray tom who she waited anxiously for. As she stared out the creak of the wall with frightened blue eyes, the fear washing off her like the rain that pelted her. She quickly turned her head away and began to claw at the hay that surrounded her nest. If her mate didn’t arrive soon, she wasn’t sure she could hold on much longer. ‘’My love, where are you?’’ she whispered, looking up towards the sky sadly. Suddenly, she was aware of her swollen belly rippling again. Pain shot through her body, making her gasp. The kits wouldn’t wait much longer. Soon, her premonitions came to life. She felt a yowl of pain shoot up her throat as another rush of pain shot up her body and forced her to catch hold of one of the clumped stalks of hay and bit down harshly. After a few silent moments, the she-cat felt something wet press against her flank. Turning her head slightly, she saw a small wet bundle lying on the nest. She found herself frozen on the spot, unable to comprehend what the small bundle was. When the small bundle began to yowl, she realized what she was doing. Quickly, the she-cat picked the kit up by its small scruff and set it against her belly where it began to suckle. After a few more agonizing moments, four wet bundles of fur lay in the curve of her belly, suckling at her milk. She felt more tired than ever before, she was barely able to keep her eyes open. Three were similar in fur color to herself, the only one who looked like the father was the tiny she-kit, her dark gray fur separating her from her three brothers. Seeing the dark gray fur gave the she-cat some hope that her mate would soon arrive. Or at least until, she ''arrived. ‘’Fawn.’’ The she-cat blinked her eyes in surprise and glanced over the side of the ledge and towards the barn’s floor. There stood a solid black she-cat with dark orange eyes and a scar over both eyes. Behind her stood four cats, all toms and all menacing. Fawn quickly ducked her head back into the shadows as the she-cat’s gaze swept the top floor. She had no chance of getting her kits out without either leaving one or two behind or getting hurt trying to get all four out. Her gaze moved to her kits who continued to suckle. If she let even one of her kits fall into ''her ''paws, she would never forgive herself. As she gazed at her kits, the dark gray she-kit flinched and began to wail with a cry. Fawn blinked in surprise at the cry then noticed the she-cat’s head snap back to the upper level and charge toward the latter with the four toms right behind. The pale she-cat wrapped her tail protectively around her kits as the black she-cat leapt over the top rung of the latter and glanced at Fawn with bright eyes. ‘’Fawn…’’ ‘’Mirage…’’ Mirage looked pleased at Fawn’s venomous tone.‘’You should know, Fawn, I’m hurt that you ran away from the Clan. I was so looking forward to seeing your kits,’’ she purred, walking with careful steps towards the queen. Fawn pulled her lips back in a snarling hiss when Mirage was only a few tail lengths away. ‘’I ran because you were going to hurt them if they stayed in the Clan!’’ she growled, wrapping her tail more protectively around her kits. Fawn continued to glare at Mirage as she stood her ground and stared with blank dark eyes at the queen. ‘’Fawn.’’ Mirage’s mew softened slightly as she watched the queen. ‘’I only wanted to make sure they were alright, they are my kin now.’’ Fawn’s glare didn’t soften a fraction. Even if they were kin, Fawn wouldn’t let the she-cat set paw on her kits. Mirage seemed to know exactly what she was thinking and made a flicking motion with her tail to the four toms, waiting on the ladder. One of the toms shot up the ladder and darted to the queen with fiery eyes, claws unsheathed. Fawn, unable to defend herself, found herself being dragged out of her nest and away from the now wailing litter of kits. Mirage smirked and trotted up to the litter while the tom forced Fawn to the ground and pinned her there. ‘’Nice work, Bramble,’’ she meowed, nodding to her deputy approvingly. Fawn found herself rooted to the spot as Mirage peered at the kits. The three pale furred toms yowled for their mother while the one she-kit squeaked feebly beside her brothers. Mirage seemed curious about the she-kit and picked her up lightly by the scruff, making her squeak louder and louder. ‘’NO!!!’’ Fawn yowled, pushing herself forcefully against the ground until she threw the tom off her. Bramble was surprised by her strength then recoiled and tackled the she-cat while she got her footing again. The other three toms shot up the ladder and surrounded the she-cat as she fought the deputy with pure furry. Mirage took no notice of the commotion as she set the gray she-kit down and examined her quietly. The kit squirmed and wailed for Fawn, annoying Mirage to her last whisker. ‘’Shut your mouth, mouse-brain!’’ she growled, unsheathing her claws and scratching the she-kit lightly on her flank. Now the she-kit wailed loudly, pain shooting through her small, fragile body. ‘’What do you think you’re doing to my kit?!’’ Mirage blinked in surprise and looked up to see a dark gray tom standing at the top of the ladder, his bright yellow eyes glaring right at her. She blinked once or twice more than grinned slyly. ‘’Ah, so the father finally arrives!’’ she purred. The tom glared at Mirage. ‘’Yes, I have, and I’m taking my kit back and kicking your crow-food filthy pelt out of our home!’’ he yowled, streaking at Mirage with sheer rage fueling his muscles. The two struggled for a few moments while three other shapes climbed the ladder and raced into battle. The two paler furred cats leapt to Fawn’s aid while the tortoiseshell she-cat grabbed the wailing kit lightly by the scruff and carried her back to her brothers. The she-cat turned quickly and began batting with unsheathed claws at the two large toms that had advanced on her from behind, protecting the young kits with all her might. Fawn and the two pale pelted cats, leapt to her aid, ripping with claw and tooth at their ragged pelts. Mirage clawed the tom she was fighting and bolted towards the ladder, yowling behind her, ‘’BloodClan retreat!!’’ The toms blinked then began to follow quickly behind their leader. The tortoiseshell she-cat released the dark tabby she’d been fighting and watched as he leapt after his clanmates. The two pale cats looked over the kits carefully, checking for injuries while the black tom walked towards the still breathless queen. Fawn looked up at her mate and smiled happily. ‘’I’m glad you could make it in time,’’ she breathed, leaning on his shoulder heavily. The tom nodded and looked towards the nest of squealing kits. A sudden rush of pride and joy rushed through him as he watched the kits. ‘’So, have you named them yet?’’ Fawn looked up at him and shook her head. ‘’I didn’t have a chance to, Mirage cornered me at the worst of times,’’ she muttered, padding to the nest and curling around her kits and beginning to groom them one at a time. ‘’And I wanted to wait for you,’’ she added in quietly. The tom smiled and padded over to look at the kits more closely. There were three larger ones, toms he could tell, and the smallest one who seemed to almost reflect the toms black coat and fluffy pelt, a she-kit. ‘’Scar.’’ The black tom blinked and turned to the tortoiseshell she-cat curiously. ‘’What is it Blossom?’’ ‘’We were able to chase those mange-pelts away from the barn, I think we might’ve made sure they ''stay ''away,’’ she reported calmly. Scar was impressed, he hadn’t expected the rouges and loners he’d gathered to be so promising. But they still lacked the experience that he’d had within BloodClan; Mirage never gave up. ‘’Alright,’’ Scar muttered, trying to decide a next move. ‘’You, Sandy and Stripes try to find some mice for Fawn, these kits need to be fed above all else.’’ The three cats nodded and climbed down the ladder to begin hunting when the elderly cat in the bunch stepped forward to look at the kits. ‘’They will be strong, make good hunters and fighters one day,’’ he commented, settling down on his haunches and gazing at the kits. The smallest kit squeaked feebly as her mother washed her carefully. The elderly cat just watched her for a moment then saw it, a flash of a red scratch shaped moon shinning down on a single cat standing within a moorland of blood red flowers. Her eyes stared up at the moon with wonder. Her tail hung high, mimicking the red scratch with her red streaked tail. ''‘’When the moon shines red on the field of crimson flowers, a lone cat shall roam the land, searching for the field of red.’’ The elderly cat blinked and raised his head to the sky, searching for the scratch moon in the dark sky. The sky only held the dark storm cloud and a single luminescent moon. Chapter 1 Category:Fanfiction